Titanium Golf Clubs Can Toss 3,000-Degree Sparks

Sand pits and small ponds apparently aren't the only types of golf hazards. Certain types of clubs can emit sparks if they strike the ground fast enough, potentially causing dry patches of grass and foliage nearby to ignite, researchers at the University of California, Irvine, have found.

Jim Earthman, a professor of materials science who performed the study, said that he was contacted by the university regarding fires on nearby courses.

"Certain golf clubs were causing fires on golf courses in Orange County," he told ABC News. "I play golf occasionally, and I had noticed that with a titanium driver that I could sometimes see very faint sparks when I was striking a tee."

The golf course fires appeared to occur in regions that weren't well irrigated and had rocks and excessive vegetation nearby. Earthman and his colleagues constructed patches of dry land in the lab and found that clubs with titanium in their sole could produce sparks that reached as much as 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit.